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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0CE1_01CE967E.F45DB270 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Don & All, Aug 11, 2012 Your comment about the Downy freezing at the hint of danger reminded = me of an experience last winter suggesting that Downy and Hairy = Woodpeckers are short-sighted. For many years I have hung a stick of firewood, with 16 staggered = 3/4" diameter holes about 1/2" deep, horizontally in a shrub and kept = them supplied with fat during cold weather. The Downy & Hairy WP often = also fed in a nearby Ash and would usually come to the fat from the Ash. After Alison became confined to wheelchair she could not see the = birds visit this stick so I decided to move it this winter to another = location that was visible from a low window by hanging a second stick at = the new location and withholding fat from the first. This second = location was about 15 paces from the Ash home base and about 20 paces = from the bush in which the old stick hung. =20 To effect this move, to a stick at the second location that was in = full view from the Ash, took about 6 weeks !! They would find fat in a post that was half a span from the feeder = currently used but ignore a post that was a span away. So I leapfrogged = posts by half-span increments; shifting the oldest forward after they = were finding fat at the most recent.=20 In the process of doing this I learned that they strongly prefer to = feed on a vertical post as opposed to an angled post or a horizontal = stick. Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Don MacNeill=20 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 Sent: Friday, August 09, 2013 1:26 PM Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Aggressive Hummingbitd 4 parts water, 1 part sugar. Do you think I am making it hyperactive = like children who get too much sugar? :>) Don Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net On 09/08/2013 7:36 AM, Hebda, Andrew J wrote: Out of curiosity, how strong a sugar solution are you using? Andrew ________________________________________ From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on = behalf of Don MacNeill [donmacneill@bellaliant.net] Sent: August-09-13 6:38 AM To: NaturenNS Subject: [NatureNS] Aggressive Hummingbitd I bought and hung out a hummingbird feeder about a week ago. Yesterday a hummingbird fed from it and decided to stake out its territory. It chased away Black-capped Chickadees that were feeding at a sunflower feeder that was 20 feet away fram the hummingbird feeder. It chased a House Sparrow from my backyard. It dove at a Downy Woodpecker but stopped about a foot from it and flew back to a bush. Interestingly, the woodpecker froze as it normally does when danger threatens. It was quite a while before the woodpecker resumed feeding at the peanut = feeder. I hope the dog-in-the-manger hummingbird doesn't succeed in keeping the whole yard for itself. Don -- Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3211/6563 - Release Date: = 08/09/13 ------=_NextPart_000_0CE1_01CE967E.F45DB270 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3DISO-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.23507"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff text=3D#000000> <DIV>Hi Don & All, = =20 = =20 Aug 11, 2012</DIV> <DIV> Your comment about the Downy freezing at the = hint of=20 danger reminded me of an experience last winter suggesting that = Downy and=20 Hairy Woodpeckers are short-sighted.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> For many years I have hung a stick of firewood, = with 16=20 staggered 3/4" diameter holes about 1/2" deep, horizontally in a = shrub and=20 kept them supplied with fat during cold weather. The Downy & Hairy = WP often=20 also fed in a nearby Ash and would usually come to the fat from the = Ash.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> After Alison became confined to = wheelchair she=20 could not see the birds visit this stick so I decided to move it = this=20 winter to another location that was visible from a low window by hanging = a=20 second stick at the new location and withholding fat from the first. = This second=20 location was about 15 paces from the Ash home base and about 20 paces = from the=20 bush in which the old stick hung. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> To effect this move, to a stick at the second = location=20 that was in full view from the Ash, took about 6 weeks !!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> They would find fat in a post that was half a = span from=20 the feeder currently used but ignore a post that was a span = away. So I=20 leapfrogged posts by half-span increments; shifting the oldest forward = after=20 they were finding fat at the most recent. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> In the process of doing this I learned that they = strongly prefer to feed on a vertical post as opposed to an angled post = or a=20 horizontal stick.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; = PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20 dir=3Dltr> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A title=3Ddonmacneill@bellaliant.net=20 href=3D"mailto:donmacneill@bellaliant.net">Don MacNeill</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> = </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 09, 2013 = 1:26=20 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] = Aggressive=20 Hummingbitd</DIV> <DIV><BR